IT DIDN’T matter whether Ginebra San Miguel was groping with the triangle offense Tim Cone has mastered with two other previous teams.
The folks in Biñan, Laguna, came to see Ginebra.
I initially estimated the crowd at Alonte Sports Arena at about 2,000 but PBA media director Willie Marcial, who by now is an expert in out-of-town games of the pro league, was sure it was at least 5,000. And that number felt like it was rooting for only one team.
This has been proven time and again whenever the PBA goes on the road, whether in Davao or Dubai: Fans in general want to see their old-time favorite teams. Ginebra, of course, tops the list for all the reasons you can already point to, while there are always large numbers of Star (Purefoods), San Miguel and Alaska fans. These are the oldest teams of the league and have definitely created a following through at least two generations.
The rest of the field is trying to build its own fan base with arguably Rain or Shine leading the next batch of teams, made up mostly of the league newcomers.
Ginebra’s charm if you will, comes from two traditions. The first is the obvious one: Robert Jaworski’s shadow and mystique cast a long if not enduring legacy, what with numerous come-from-behind triumphs. Jaworski’s teams were not star-studded and were literally whipped into rugged crews that resonated with fans.
The second tradition comes from the Jayjay Helterbrand-Mark Caguioa “fast and furious” era. A younger generation of fans who missed Jaworski’s band got to cheer for their father or grandfather’s Ginebra led by a pair of wily, overseas-based players with Filipino heritage. They could lead the patented Ginebra rally while the faithful chanted that three-syllable cheer that other teams detested.
It didn’t hurt that Caguioa could speak Filipino in the same way as most Pinoys, especially when he was depressed with his team’s performance. He connected and the fans loved him even more.
So there is an onus on the current generation of Ginebra players. In Biñan, and despite the team rolling over a struggling Meralco squad, there was a constant air of expectation that something spectacular could happen. I sensed that as I moved around the venue, sitting in different areas.
A magical shot perhaps, a dunk or even a flashback to another time of one’s youth?
The present crop obliged even as it went through its triangle options. In the first quarter, LA Tenorio whipped a bullet-like pass to Japeth Aguilar for a scintillating eye-in-the-sky slam dunk. There was no big screen at the venue but one could imagine the reactions of loyal fans in homes or restaurants when the play was reshown on slow motion.
Then, Caguioa got into the act by scoring as well, and Helterbrand hit a long backboard three. Time stood still and moved on at the same time.
Ginebra loyalists max out the meaning of “fans” with every passing season. There is joyful expectation even if, of late, the Gin Kings have not won any conference. The feeling applies to anyone who is a fan.
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